To locate the video files themselves, click the View downloads icon, which takes you directly to the download folder, where you can copy, move or rename the files. Place the mouse cursor on the video entry in RealDownloader and then click on the icon for the network of your choice: Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Bebo or a mail icon, which – surprise, surprise – let’s you email the video link to a friend. You can also share any of your downloaded videos using any of the most popular social networks. The program includes a video player so there’s no need to hunt down a compatible app.

To play a video back, launch RealDownloader and select the downloaded file you want from the list. Click it to transfer the video to your default video folder. When you visit a page containing suitable material, just roll the mouse cursor over the video element to see a button marked Download this video. RealDownloader is simple to install and provides you with a playback and management program for your offline files, plus a browser extension that helps you to select and save videos from any web pages that include streaming movies.

Now Real Networks - best known for its RealPlayer media manager - has produced its own downloader that works alongside most browsers, bringing its experience with internet video to the table.

There are numerous browser extensions that provide this kind of function, but they vary in quality and reliability. More and more websites and social networks are providing streaming video, but you can’t always easily store it for offline viewing.

Realdownloader chrome extension